MWE Correspondent
Russian President Vladimir Putin has renewed his criticism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), arguing that the military alliance was created during the Cold War as a response to the former Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, yet continues to exist decades after those rival structures disappeared.
Speaking about NATO’s history, Putin questioned why the alliance remained active after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the military alliance formed by Moscow and its allies during the Cold War era.
“Today there is no longer a Soviet Union and no Warsaw Pact, but NATO still exists. Why? The answer is obvious,” Putin said.
According to the Russian leader, NATO has transformed from a Cold War security arrangement into an instrument used to advance Western foreign policy interests, particularly those of the United States.
Putin has repeatedly argued that NATO’s continued expansion represents a security threat to Russia, especially as the alliance has admitted several countries from Eastern Europe that were once part of the Soviet sphere of influence or closely connected to Moscow.
His latest remarks come amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO members, largely driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Moscow has consistently accused NATO of moving military infrastructure closer to Russian borders and using Ukraine as a platform to increase Western influence.
Russian officials have long described NATO expansion as a challenge to Russia’s national security, arguing that promises made during the final years of the Cold War regarding the alliance’s future relationship with Eastern Europe were not respected.
However, NATO rejects those accusations and maintains that it is a defensive alliance established to protect the security of its members. The organisation argues that its expansion has not been forced upon countries but has resulted from independent decisions by sovereign states seeking membership.
NATO officials have repeatedly stated that countries have the right to choose their own security arrangements and that membership decisions are based on democratic processes and mutual agreements among existing members.
Also Read. Africa’s Critical Minerals Are Redefining Global Power
The disagreement reflects a much deeper divide over the post-Cold War global security order.
For Russia, NATO’s survival after the Soviet collapse represents evidence that the Western-led security system failed to fully address Moscow’s concerns. Russian leaders argue that instead of creating a new inclusive security framework after 1991, Western countries maintained institutions originally designed during confrontation with the Soviet Union.
For NATO members, however, the alliance’s continued existence reflects changing security challenges rather than Cold War rivalry. They argue that threats such as terrorism, cyberattacks, regional conflicts, and concerns among European states about Russian military actions have created reasons for continued cooperation.
The debate over NATO’s purpose has become one of the central issues shaping relations between Russia and the West.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO has strengthened its eastern flank, increasing troop deployments and military cooperation with countries near Russia’s borders. Moscow views these moves as confirmation of its concerns, while NATO describes them as necessary defensive measures in response to Russian actions.
Beyond Ukraine, the disagreement represents a broader struggle over the future balance of power in international affairs. Russia has called for a multipolar world order with greater recognition of its security interests, while the United States and its allies continue to defend the existing alliance system as a foundation of international stability.
More than three decades after the end of the Cold War, NATO remains at the centre of a global debate: whether it is a necessary security organisation adapting to modern threats, or a Cold War institution whose continued expansion has contributed to renewed tensions between major powers.
Putin’s latest comments therefore reflect not only criticism of NATO itself but also Russia’s wider challenge to the current international security structure that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
